How an acute mastering of balance on a seesaw can improve the relationship between “static” and “dynamic” upright postural control

Postural control ability has been widely evaluated using undisturbed upright stance protocols. However, standing on a seesaw may offer additional insights due to changes in the available sensory information and the amplification of the motor command resulting from the translational and rotational movement of the device. These two tasks share close biomechanical and neurophysiological principles. To highlight their possible linkage, 32 young healthy adults participated in this study, which consisted of testing postural performance while standing on a firm surface or on a seesaw producing rolling or pitching movements. The results showed increased CP displacements along the seesaw's pitching or rolling axis and also along the perpendicular axis. However, comparing the two tasks can be difficult because of discrepancies in the ability to rapidly master the new constraints brought about by the seesaw. To highlight the role played by adaptation, 15 subjects of the whole sample participated in a complementary protocol consisting of a 20-min training session aimed at improving the mastery of the seesaw producing pitch motions. The relationship between the amplitudes of the CP displacements between “static” and “dynamic” tasks was investigated. Interestingly, whereas no statistically significant linear correlation was found before training, several significant correlations were found after pitch training for AP displacements. By emphasizing the key role played by short-term adaptation in standing performance, these results are likely to have potential implications regarding the conception of standardized tests aimed at evaluating postural ability in healthy or disabled subjects.

► Standing on a seesaw modifies the available sensory information and amplifies the motor command with the translational-rotational movement. ► Both standing on a firm surface and standing on a seesaw share close biomechanical and neurophysiological principles. ► Comparing the two tasks can be difficult because of discrepancies in the ability to rapidly master the new seesaw constraints. ► Whereas no correlation was found before training, several significant linear correlations were found after pitch training. ► These results highlight the role played by short-term adaptation in standing performance.